If you're planning a kitchen remodel, then the time will come to select a new countertop surface. For some, the decision is simple - something that's been envisioned for a long time. For others, the choice is more difficult when trying to compare how materials will hold up and how they'll look with the rest of the kitchen.

Joan McCloskey, editorial marketing director of Better Homes and Gardens magazine, said homeowners don't want shiny surfaces anymore. Instead, they opt for soft looks.

"A typical upscale kitchen remodeling includes granite counters - honed granite preferably - stainless appliances, a hardwood or porcelain tile floor, and cherry or maple cabinets," she said at the International Builders Show held earlier this year. "If a countertop isn't honed granite, it's probably soapstone, another soft material that, so far, has met with high approval by the person that does the cooking and cleaning."

McCloskey said homeowners are turning away from polished granite because scratches dull the finish.

But for many, the countertop is a challenge - and regret often lingers once it's installed.

"Each year we ask several homeowners if they're happy with their material selection after a full year of use and we find that it's always the countertop that's held in disfavor," McCloskey said. "We still need to work on developing or discovering a counter surface that functions well and looks great."

In the meantime, you'll want to find the best material to meet your needs. Kitchens.com, a web site devoted to consumer kitchen information, lays out the pros and cons of today's popular countertop materials:

Published: July 22, 2003

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